County food-access profile · Vermont
Bennington County, VT
Bennington County's food-access picture is close to the national norm, with pockets that qualify as low-access. This profile breaks down who qualifies as a food desert and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it.
- 8.2%
- low-access pop.
- 1
- food-desert tracts
- 15.4%
- on SNAP
- 37K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
8.2% of Bennington County residents live in a low-access area, and 1 of its 12 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts.
- 1
- low-access tracts
- 1K
- food-desert residents
- 7.5%
- households, no vehicle
- 11.3%
- below poverty line
Low access = living more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket. Food deserts add a low-income condition (USDA LILA, 1-and-10-mile measure).
Bennington County's low-access share sits near the national share, at 8.2% per the USDA Atlas. 1 of the county's 12 census tracts are flagged low-access, covering roughly 3,060 residents who live far from a supermarket. 1 of those also meet the low-income condition that defines a food desert, home to roughly 1,034 low-income residents.
How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts
The USDA measures food access by distance to the nearest supermarket. A census tract is "low-access" when a meaningful share of residents live more than one mile from a supermarket in urban areas, or more than ten miles in rural areas. A tract becomes a "food desert" only when it is both low-access and low-income, because distance is far harder to overcome for households without a car or a cushion in the budget. Counts on this page are aggregated from the tract level, where the federal data is actually published, so a single county figure can hide neighbourhoods that are much better or much worse served than the average. Distance also does not capture everything that shapes whether a family eats well: the presence of a full-service grocer rather than a convenience store, public transit, food pantries, and the price and quality of what is on the shelf all matter beyond the radius the Atlas can draw.
How Bennington County compares nationally
Bennington County lands in the middle of the national distribution: a 8.2% low-access share that beats 16% of the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA data (rank #2,629).
Bennington County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 12 census tracts in Bennington County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Bennington County vs. other Vermont counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Vermont
- Bennington 8.2
Bennington County, VT
8.2 % low-access
- Addison 6.2
Addison County, VT
6.2 % low-access
- Caledonia 5.8
Caledonia County, VT
5.8 % low-access
- Chittenden
Chittenden County, VT
13.9 % low-access
- Essex
Essex County, VT
28.2 % low-access
- Franklin 9.2
Franklin County, VT
9.2 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 12 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 37,125 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 1 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 1 |
| Low-Access Population | 3,060 |
| Low-Access Share | 8.2%well below the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 1,034 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 37,269 |
| Median Household Income | $73,325 |
| Poverty Rate | 11.3%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 2,310 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 15.4%above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 7.5%near the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 2.8% |
About 15.4% of Bennington County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 8.2% of residents are low-access, near the national share for U.S. counties.
- 15.4% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,310 households here.
- 7.5% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- 1 tract meet the USDA food-desert threshold (low-income and low-access).
USDA low-access figures reflect the 2019 Atlas (2010 tract populations); socioeconomic context is the latest Census ACS 5-year (2024).
What the food-access data shows for Bennington County
near the national share
1 of Bennington County's 12 census tracts are USDA-designated food deserts, low-income areas where many residents also live far from a supermarket, about 8.3% of all its tracts.
An estimated 3,060 residents, roughly 8.2% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 1,034 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 11 tracts (91.7%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Bennington County
Bennington County has 48 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 28 locations (58% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Convenience Store · 28
- 7-eleven 32511j, bondville
- 7-eleven, inc. 32512h, readsboro
- arlington deli & liquor, arlington
- bashera's 99 cent and up, bennington
- bennington community market 0, bennington
- billmont's country store, stamford
- corner market, bennington
- cumberland farms 8035, bennington
- hazara food mart, bennington
- jiffy mart 447, east dorset
- jolley 545, bennington
- martins mini mart, bennington
- manchester variety store, manchester center
- mirabito manchester 139, manchester center
- north bennington variety, north bennington
- readsboro general store, readsboro
- stewarts shop #199, pownal
- stewarts shop 195, bennington
- speedymart, bennington
- spice n nice, bennington
- stewarts shop 193, arlington
- stewarts shop 197, manchester center
- tenneybrook bennington 150, bennington
- vermont chef corp, bennington
- village market enterprises inc, pownal
- winchesters store, pownal
- willys variety, bennington
- yott's market, bennington
Combination Grocery/Other · 8
- cvs pharmacy 337, bennington
- dollar tree 2872, bennington
- dollar general 12564, pownal
- dollar general 14270, arlington
- dollar general 14357, bennington
- ocean state job lot 428, bennington
- walgreen 17631, bennington
- walgreens 18020, manchester center
Supermarket · 4
- aldi 73029, bennington
- price chopper 125, manchester center
- price chopper bennington 171, bennington
- shaw's supermarket 530, manchester center
Farmers' Market · 3
- arlington village farmers market, arlington
- dorset farmers market cooperative 260491400, dorset
- manchester farmers' market, manchester center
Medium Grocery Store · 2
- clear brook farm, shaftsbury
- wayside country store, arlington
Super Store · 2
- hannaford supermarket & pharmacy 8301, bennington
- walmart supercenter 2289, bennington
Large Grocery Store · 1
- henrys market, bennington
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Vermont
Compare Bennington County vs Addison County → · All Vermont counties →
Food access nationally, Vermont in context
Bennington County sits inside Vermont (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
Understand the Data
Frequently Asked Questions
What share of Bennington County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Bennington County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Bennington County? ▼
Is Bennington County a food desert? ▼
What share of Bennington County households lack a vehicle? ▼
Data Sources & Methodology
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019): low-access and food-desert tract classifications, low-access population, and low-income low-access counts. ers.usda.gov/food-access-research-atlas
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates: population, median income, poverty, SNAP participation, vehicle access, and group quarters. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
Low access is defined as living more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket; a food desert adds a low-income condition. Read the full methodology →
Data current as of (most recent source-data vintage; figures reflect the 2019 USDA Atlas and 2024 Census ACS).
Note: This page presents public USDA and Census data for informational purposes and is not professional advice. Figures reflect the cited dataset vintages and may differ from the most recent local conditions. How this data is sourced & verified.